Which Right Honourable Gentlemen first said 'cheese'?

February 27, 2008 3:04 PM

Who was the first British Prime Minister to be photographed?

And, who was the first PM to be photographed while holding the office?

I'm assuming it would be someone after Canning. I would guess that Wellington must have been photographed in his later years. Perhaps Peel was photographed while PM? Sadly my google-fu has failed me, but I hope you all will not!

posted by boubelium to Grab Bag (5 answers total)

Best answer: It looks like it's Palmerston, although it's not clear if this portrait (1850s) was taken when he was in office. Being photographed was a matter of course by the 1860s (although Disraeli notoriously hated having his photo taken).
posted by thomas j wise at 3:26 PM on February 27, 2008

It looks like Sir John Russell was photographed (scroll down 2/3rds or crtl+F 'em) , though I don't think it was during his tenure as PM.
posted by Atreides at 3:32 PM on February 27, 2008

That is, it COULD be, but it could be later.
posted by Atreides at 3:34 PM on February 27, 2008

Possibly during his second tenure as PM. The Russell photos I've seen all date from the 1860s.
posted by thomas j wise at 4:04 PM on February 27, 2008

Response by poster: It looks like Palmerston is our man! Thanks for the quick responses thomas j wise and atreides. The NPG link is also fantastic and a site I hadn't thought to check. Again, many thanks.
posted by boubelium at 4:58 AM on February 28, 2008